Chapter Seven: Waiting For Greatness

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    The other professors and I were going down the streets, the night starting to take hold. Jak'rou wasn't busy, even with the Planar Portals here. The traffic was winding down, people finding their way home to spend the evening with family. I never understood having a family. What's the point of it? Having a house full of loud, dirty people? That break things and annoy you when you aren't feeling good. The thought made me shiver. I lived alone for a reason. The quiet made me a better person, made me able to concentrate with full power. Nothing is worse than loud noises. Absolutely nothing.

    Haggar whistled shamelessly, but it to was quiet, and I did not mind the noise. Though I wasn't sure what song it was. Birds flew overhead, singing with him, colorful and bright. Katlen smiled. "Always making things a little more perky, huh Haggar?"

"What's the point of living if you can't find what makes you happy?" A small blue and black cardinal came down, landing on his shoulder. I too smiled, petting it's side. "Nature deserves our happiness, does it not?"

"Unless happiness is full of lies," I said, feeling the bird's desire for food. It wanted bugs, lots of them. No need to be greedy, small one. Nature always supplies. "Creatures of sentience make false claims for their own needs, unnecessary needs. But the wild just wants what's best."

"Damn nature magi. You all grow so sentiment. To close to the ground." Katlen, being a summoner and seer, was pesky about relationships. Creatures of the wild may not lie, but you must not let your guard down. Such a sad way to live. "That bird wants to peck your face out Haggar."

"Then I will let it, if it can get past my fingers."

"To which then it will consume with a fiery passion," she grunted, as though not amused. "There's a skinny hawk above us, wanting to eat that morsel."

"If it can escape with speed and wisdom, then it gets to live," I said. "Otherwise, nature will take it's course."

"Ah, there's the brutality that I like to see. Maybe there's hope for you yet, Ursula." Katlen shooed the bird away, letting it fly towards greatness or death. Either would satisfy the world.

We came to the more business side of Jak'rou, where buildings full of men and women who seeked power and money tried their hand at the game. A game that truly does not matter, but if you wish to climb the social ladder, then you succumb to what the Beams or Towers tell you. Many become personal servants, in hopes of notice. I couldn't help but think that if you are as willing to lose your power to gain it, then the cycle of nature will eat you before you eat.

I do not care though. Let the nobles and elites bicker over power. Let them fight. I find the noise too loud, too painful. In the end, we find a fight that can not be won.

"There it is," Haggar said, pointing. The building was separate from the others. "The portals. The meeting will be starting in about an hour. Then all of this will be put to rest. And we get paid."

"I'm betting that this 'noxious changer' is nothing more than some type of small reptilian. Probably a damned newt. For Kam's sake, I bet it's nothing more than a scam."

"Invoking Kam, a bold move," Haggar said to Katlen. He opened up the door for us, and I went in first. The Processing Council always did it's things in public, to let the public weigh in if need be. The magi sometimes have secret agendas and goals to be gained from those who go through this council. Caught criminals who are looking for a second chance. Dealers in items that sometimes can't be found. Or just the occasional human who is foolish enough to believe a rich man's tale.

The hall was echoing with magi, all busy looking at clipboards or phones. The wooden arch over the path that leads to the conference room had carved screaming faces within. Haggar laughed. "Intimidating. Love it. Haven't been here in years."

"Yeah. Less color than most places," Katlen pointed out. "Feels cold."

"At least it's quiet," I added, moving forward. If you ignore the world around you, then what you want comes closer than you realize. It makes being a nature magi hard, but when I want to, the outside can become nothing. Cold, as Katlen said.

A door being watched by a woman appeared. She glanced at us. "You here to watch the next council screening?"

"Yes," we all answered.

"Then go on in. Though, don't expect much of crowd to be joining you." She pulled back the tall door, light pouring in, but it was tainted with orange. The color of this council.

The room looked like a court. Two tables facing a long, tall stand, with seven seats behind it. Those that would witness this sit off to the side, getting to wait patiently to speak. A few were sitting there already, but more or less total strangers taking a chance. To see if they can get someone lucky.

We took our seats. Cushioned. Soft, a little itchy. This would be an unfun hour.

Silence. For near twenty minutes. Even I was getting angsty. No other people were coming in, to try and score this resource. No other professors, or elites.

"Haggar, don't these screenings have full houses?"

He paused in his humming. "I don't know. The rich man's plaything. I've ignored the business of the elites because it causes nothing but trouble."

"The Towers don't come to events like this. This is for Beams who think they can become even more powerful," Katlen said. "To think they can rise like balloons."

"But even messengers or representatives come to these, don't they?" This doesn't make sense. "Where are the other professors?"

"How should I know? We came to do a job. But others usually come to do a job too."

The two shrugged, not really paying attention to what's going on. I was starting to think that this was a prank. Yet there was a hearing. For someone who claimed they were bringing an animal to showcase at the University. How odd.

The door opened, and came through the University of Kal'en's head professor of the history department, Jaak Rouse. His shiny grey hair made me think of a man who knew that age was going to consume him, and rather show his years than lie and die being a liar. He spotted us, then came up and sat a beside me.

"Ah, professors. So glad someone else came to enjoy this spectacle." He sounded rough, like he hadn't slept in a few days. Was it about this? "How are you Ursula? It's been such a long time."

"Tired. Waiting to get this over with." Something came to mind. "How did you know about today, Jaak?"

"Oh, I'm friends with a councillor. Kin Kan. Good man. Told me this was happening, and I just had to see it for myself." He seemed ecstatic. Weird. "This will go down as one of the most underrated days in history."

"What? Some magi showing off some dumb lizard?" Katlen scoffed. "Yeah, real day in history."

Jaak looked mortified. Mouth agape, before laughing in our faces. "Are you serious? Why are you three here?"

"Some magi is bringing a lizard from Earth to showcase at the University," Haggar said. The magi shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing too special."

"Oh my Kam. He totally did this, didn't he?" Jaak laughed again. Then he became serious, face hardening in a look that would scare students to doing their work. "This isn't some hearing for a zoo. This is the hearing for the Last Necromancer. Ditto Night. He wishes to enter the Light Layer for a while."

Now it was Katlen's turn to laugh. "What, Jaak? A necromancer? You mean the species that was wiped out? Destroyed, what, thirty odd years ago? You are insane aren't you."

"Oh, oh my. I guess you were all pretty young when the Trial happened."

Trial?

He faced me. "How old are you Ursula? The rest of you?"

"Thirty."

"Twenty-nine," said Katlen.

"Thirty-one," said Haggar.

"Ah. Yes. Well, fifteen years ago, a trial happened. To deal with the now Last Necromancer. Ditto Night." Jaak now faced forward. "The boy was placed before the Pillar, and told to defend himself. I was there. I watched it. It was probably the event of the decade. Brilliant trial, brilliant on both ends. Obviously the boy got to live. And I've talked with him a few times since. Good man, fun conversations." The professor acted as though this was all a big joke. One that I certainly did not get. "I think we will all find this worth our time."

Haggar coughed in disbelief. Katlen still laughed crazily. I felt my head go numb. The last.....that was far more intriguing than any rare species. Granted, this man was probably a low life, disgusting, ugly. A creature so abnormal that even the steel-stomach Haggar would throw up at the sight of. I imagine that this necromancer was without a doubt a murderer and scoundrel, one who has committed acts of violence against the name of peace and life. He deserves death.

The council members started walking out, each dressed in orange robes with blood-red tassels around their necks. I didn't pay attention as the secretary listed their names, what was going on, who was summoning the council. Who cared. This was a mistake, yet something wild and crazy. My heart was pounding. This was too much to take in. Too much information.

I started to stand. I had to leave. This was going to break me.

A door jarring snapped me back to the present.

Jaak smiled. "It's starting."